Scope and applications of amphiphilic alkyl- and lipopeptides

Nowadays oligopeptides can be easily synthesized and their secondary and tertiary structure is controlled by the amino acid sequence. Alkylation or lipidation of the hydrophilic peptides adds additional amphiphi-licity which can be used in several applications. Examples are given of bioactive compounds (e.g., targeted drug delivery) and the self-assembly into well-defined surfaces able to act as templates for biomineralization is discussed. © 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.